Word games keep us connected...
Staying connected with my children with all our busy lives is a challenge to say the least! With one grown child in Florida, another a college senior, and one daughter home with me working her way through high school, it’s a challenge just to connect , let alone find time to have fun together! So what have we found that most definitely keeps us connected and smiling daily? Word games!
My daughters grew up playing lots of word games and enjoyed countless hours finding words in
Big Boggle, Bananagrams, and Scrabble. We enjoyed these games for years, and even until just recently found more games to challenge and entertain us.
So just over a year ago, I decided to gift each daughter an online subscription to the New York Times Puzzles! I thought this could be a way to connect, and give us something fun to focus on. While only a couple of us attempt the big crossword puzzle, we all enjoy the mini puzzles and Spelling Bee. If you are not familiar with Spelling Bee, you ought to give it a whirl! The object of the game is to make as many words as you can with just seven letters. If you get a high score, you receive the title or status, Genius. you can just imagine how this gets us texting, joking, and sending goofy memes and emojis.
Most recently, my eldest daughter insisted that I try a new game she learned about called, Wordle. “Oh, Mom,” she said. “A man designed this game for his partner because he knew that she loved word games! Isn’t that just so sweet?” This is the kind of love story that she and I would absolutely dream of taking the star role in. In any case, we both now love the game and check in daily to see if the other has solved it.
I ought to mention that my youngest daughter struggled immensely with spelling in elementary school. I am sure that all of these word games have helped her over the years to become a more proficient speller. In fact, we accepted her inventive spelling for years while playing games with us. To our pleasant surprise, she is now able to spell! Even with spell check, this gives me some peace of mind.
There are a plethora of word games for all ages on the market, including those online. I definitely recommend always having a dictionary nearby! Wishing you and yours lots of words and giggles together!
We can’t wait to hear how it goes! WRITE ON!
